If, like me, you have had little experience in riding a fully loaded bike, your day 1 is likely to bring you some interesting moments.
As a well-prepared person, two days before my actual departure I decided to make a test ride. I attached the four panniers to my bike, filled them with all kinds of stuff I had at home in order to make the bags heavy and rolled out of my apartment in Amsterdam to cycle to Zaanstad and back. This would in total make 40 km, roughly the half of what I counted to ride daily on my journey.
The bike felt heavier of course but not drastically. I rode to the west of Amsterdam to take a ferry to Zaanstad, looking like a tourist and taking a picture with this classic Dutch statue. Just like a real day on the tour 🙂
This couple weighs around 6700 kg and stands high at about three-floor building 
Symbolically, the statue was placed here to promote visiting the area by bike
I visited a friend in Zaanstad for a few hours and rolled back to Amsterdam. When the trip was finished, my average speed was at 19 km per hour and I didn’t feel more tired than usual. The test was a success!
But not quite my Day 1.
So what did I do wrong after all the preparations?
Firstly, I underestimated the real weight of my luggage. What I put in the bags was likely half of the actual weight I took with me. Add to it the tent and the sleeping bag tied to the back of the bike and you will get a very heavy bike. Weighing the luggage only, I counted ~30 kg, and this was a BIG difference. The bike became a tank that was not just difficult to push but also difficult to handle at first.
The thing is when you add weights on the front wheel, it will take you a bit of time to master a new balancing algorithm of your bike. In fact, once you master this new way, it will be very unusual to ride the bike without the weights. Obviously, with time you will be switching these modes in your head (and hands) in a matter of seconds.
We couldn’t even take a picture with three of us because the bike wouldn’t stand by itself 😀
And when my friends set me off from my apartment that day I was shaking and wobbling like someone who just learned how to cycle.
Mistake #2. I made an appointment with a friend to have a lunch in Utrecht which is ‘only’ 45 km away. “Three hours should be more than enough time to cover this distance even on day 1,” I thought. I was wrong, I was very wrong. 15 minutes after I said goodbye to my colleagues in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, a heavy storm fell from the sky, naturally with a strong headwind all the way to Utrecht.
I stopped to put my rain gear but first I had to remember which bag it is in (having finished packing at 4am that night I had vague memories of what is where). As it was March and the trees were still bare, I was already 20% wet when I finally found and put my rain clothes.
I headed into the rain and the wind with all my powers. In another 30 minutes I was nearly 100% wet and it wasn’t even clear what had more impact – the rain from the outside or the sweat from the inside. I must have looked miserable trying to overcome the weather but I was trying my best to make it on time. Well….I was late for more than an hour and soaking wet! One thing I regret is that we didn’t take any photo when I arrived. It would make for such a good laugh now 😀
Luckily, I was still able to catch my friend for a bit, the sun started to shine (exactly as soon as I arrived) and all the troubles were forgotten.
There are possibly many more mistakes that could happen to you on your Day 1 (read about Niel Gunton’s Day 1 here) but those were mine and I am happy to share them with you. And I would really recommend to make a true test ride with everything you have got to carry on your trip prior to the ride and not to make any time-sensitive appointments. Actually making strict appointments sounds like a bad idea to me anytime on a bicycle journey as there are usually too many unpredictable factors like the weather, roads, punctures, people and the beautiful views you have got to photograph 🙂